Airport Road: FCTA insists on demolition of illegal structures in Zamani village, others

By Stanley Onyekwere

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has reiterated resolve to execute it’s planned massive demolition of illegal structures in Zamani village and sustain its renewed removal exercise  in over 10 other communities, along the Airport road, so as to restore environmental sanity in the area.

Also, the FCTA decried the rate at which  some  communities on the axis were expanding, with local Chiefs still selling land illegally to people to build without government’s approval.

This was against the backdrop of mixed reactions and protests trailing the move to take the removal exercise to Zamani Village, where purported illegal structures have been marked for demolition this week, as one of the places where some residents have disregarded government’s warning to embark on unapproved expansion.

However, the FCTA disclosed that it was engaging traditional leaders of various Chiefdoms within the Territory to stop the worrying trend of illegal expansion of local communities.

Making this point during a meeting with some community leaders from the concerned villages, the Senior Special Assistant to FCT Minister on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement, Ikharo Attah, while expressed displeasure that residents were forcing government to spend scarce resources on demolition exercise.

Attach however  restated that enforcement of orders will not abate until environmental sanity was restore to all parts of the Territory.

According to him, the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello was determined to routing out all the illegalities, having warned local Chiefs who illegally sell land, as well as those buying and developing such land.

The SSA while reiterating that the houses of the  indigenous people located within the approved areas won’t be demolished, opined that all the structures on the illegal expansion would be pulled down.

He explained that the essence of holding meetings with traditional and Community leaders of the affected places, was to ensure that ensure proper sensitisation, as well as garner support.

He further warned people who have continued with the habit of buying and building of houses illegally in any part of Abuja.

He therefore noted that such practices amount to a collosal waste of resources, and also very tragic to economic growth.

Similarly, the Senior Special Assistant to FCT Minister on Community Relation, Ishaku  Yamawo, called on the various community leaders to desist from all negative activities that will attract punitive measures from government.

Yamawo, also assured the leaders that indigenous peoples houses would not be affected in the demolition exercise.

According to him, the administration was working on modalities of providing more  basic amenities in the communities, but needs the cooperation of the residents.